Tuesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live drew about 3.1 million viewers, while The Tonight Show drew an audience of 3.3 million and The Late Show trailed behind with 2.9 million, according to Nielsen ratings. Kimmel's viewership grew by 59 percent over his average last season and by 33 percent in the adults 18-to-49 demographic (887,000 vs. 667,000), according to ABC. Preliminary numbers initially showed Kimmel beating both Letterman and Leno.

Prior to his move from midnight, Kimmel had said he was up to the challenge of going head-to-head with Leno and Letterman, calling Leno a "sellout" but reserving kinder words for Letterman, who was his childhood idol. "If I beat David Letterman in the ratings, does that mean I'm better than Letterman? No f---ing way," Kimmel said.